mazdeuce - Seth said:I'd love to find a tool backpack that keeps things organized. It's rare that I don't need both of my arms to carry stuff when leaving the junkyard.
https://www.hilmor.com/products/backpack-bag
That's the one I use to hold my service tools while working. Got it for 70 bucks at a supply house, it's been great so far.
In reply to donalson :
Plastic pistol or shotgun case with the foam. Take the tools you’ll need for the day and lay them in how they fit best, close the lid and go. The loose sockets and everything else will stay put just like your gun would.
(there’s cheap ones with flat foam top and bottom instead of having a cutout or being “eggcrate” foam.)
I am obsessed with my tools. It's been a lifetime project and I could have bought a real nice house for what I have spent over the years.
So, Cousin Eddie's rules for tools.
1) Good or sentimental tools never leave the garage, much less go to the junkyard.
2) Always use Harbor Freight quality tools for junkyards. That way when you lose something, it warrants nothing beyond a shrug of the shoulders.
3) Always equip sufficient for junkyard trips that you could all but pull any part off the car that you desire. Not just a few tools in your pocket. That's a guarantee that you'll run across that new set of Konis underneath some car and not be equipped to pull them. Or that great exhaust header or whatever. If you don't grab it when you see it, it will be gone when you return later. Don't complain about the bulk or weight of your junkyard tool kit. Use a wagon to drag your stuff in.
In reply to EvanB :
I have a very slightly different version of that backpack bag at work. It works very well for carrying the tools I use every day, like screw drivers, linesmans, strippers, etc. I'm not sure how socket friendly it would be, I haven't tried it- I keep my sockets and wrenches in their cases.
The pockets in the bag seem to be set up for more screw-driver-y things. But it works very well for that.
As to the foam, my brother made a wood version of a scroll saw with a chunk of heat element wire from a vaping rig in place of the blade. Add a battery charger to put current through the wire and it cuts foam like a hot wire through foam.
I use rails for my sockets, but would recommend something a little more substantial than the Harbor Freight ones - I bought a couple of those recently just to try them out (they were on sale so I wasn't out much) and they did a pretty poor job of retaining any sockets I tried on them. When I go to the junkyard I throw the rails along with any other tools I need in my old college book bag. It's actually some sort of military surplus thing, made of heavy duty canvas with a leather shoulder strap which makes it easy to carry around. I've had it for over 40 years and since it was military surplus I have no idea how old it was when I got it, but other than being dirty and greasy it's still in great condition. It's similar to this one: https://www.priorservice.com/green-canvas-paratrooper-bag.html
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